My parents seemed relieved when Harvey and I walked back into our house. He had Abi cradled into his chest, she'd fallen asleep on the ride home, exhausted from the visit and the lull of the car's movement. I helped him take off her coat, trying to keep from waking her, and then brushed a kiss on her forehead before he took up back upstairs to her nursery.

"How did it go?" Dad asked, as I took off my own outerwear. I sighed, thinking that while it went well, it was still nerve wracking.

I led the way into the kitchen, wishing I'd taken the time to buy pastries from the place we'd met John and Mary. Getting the coffee on for Harvey and my parents, and popping a cup of water into the microwave for my own tea, I thought about my dad's question. How had it gone?

"Fine," I answered, pulling the tea tin down from the cabinet. "It went fine."

I felt Harvey press into me as I started at the microwave timer ticking down. "Better than fine," he propped his chin on the top of my head and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Tali kept her cool, she let them hold Abi, and then she said her goodbyes and walked away with her head held high." Moving his chin, his lips pressed into my hair.

"Mary was there?" Mom sounded shocked. Both of us nodded. "That takes some nerve."

I shrugged, taking my cup from the microwave when it dinged. Dropping my teabag into the hot water, I reached for three cups. Harvey took the initiative to pull away and fill them, and then I took my cup and another to the table where my parents sat waiting.

As I waited for my tea to seep into the water, I watched my parents have a complete conversation with only their eyes and chuckled. When they looked at me, I was smiling. Harvey took my hand and I let our fingers link. "A really wise man told me that John needed someone with him, since it was a tense situation."

"Wise?" His dimples were teasing me, but the twinkle in his eyes made my heart skip a beat. "I just think he was afraid that you'd finally hit him like-"

"Like you did?" I giggled as my dad gave Harvey a look of approval. "That was yesterday, when he showed up here, Dad."

Harvey was grinning into his first sip of coffee at the happy memory. I shook my head. "It doesn't matter, none of it does. I kept up my end of the bargain, now he can."

And for the most part, John did keep his end up. He didn't visit. He didn't try to call. He did, however, write to Abi. Almost a letter a week, sometimes more. Cards, letters, and then gifts. As though, in her, he could rectify the fuck up he had in raising the boys.

I didn't toss any of it, not the gifts or the letters. Instead, I packed them into a chest, telling Harvey that Abi could make up her mind about him when the time came. He looked like he agreed, and the months ticked past getting us closer to our second baby's arrival.

I was still teaching, but it was during my last class that more of my past decided to make an appearance. Dean and Sam, sitting at the top of the classroom, just inside the door as they had when they showed up to tell me John was missing all those years ago. And just like that time, I didn't pause or acknowledge them during my lecture. Keeping up with the thread of my subject, I talked until it was time to say 'goodbye' to my students.

"Now, as you all know, I'm about to start my maternity leave." The smiling faces that greeted the announcement made it easy to go on. My hand fell to my very obvious bump, and I moved away from the lectern. "You only have two more weeks of this class. And while I hate to force you to watch my lectures online, and I truly hate having to read all of your homework via email, it's a small price to pay. You'll still meet in this room for your final, which will be proctored by one of the many TAs running around campus." Smiling around the room, I sighed a little. "If you plan on continuing your studies in this field, then I'll see you in the fall. Have a good summer!"

With that they were dismissed, a few of my more eager students stayed behind to wish me well, but then even they were gone. As I started to gather up my belongings, knowing that Harvey would be by soon enough with Abi to get me home and settled in for the wait, I could see the Winchester boys start down to me.

"Dean," I offered when they got closer. "Sam." A small tip of my head, but my hands stayed busy gathering up anything that I didn't want tossed in my office. "Kind of shocked it took you two so long to come visit."

I was surprised. I knew that if John had found me, these two couldn't have been far behind.

"Yeah," Sam looked a bit uncomfortable, "if you want us to go-"

"You look good, Tali," Dean cut in, his eyes raking over me and landing on my bulging stomach. "Happy."

I smiled, and my left hand landed on the upper curve of my baby's current residence absently, causing the diamond to flash on my ring finger. "I am. Happy that is." I heard the classroom door open and my little girl calling out 'mommy' excitedly. "Ah, I think this is who you two really wanted to see."

Harvey was carrying a wiggling little girl, still tiny but also full of two year old energy down the stairs, trying to calm her down so she didn't fall. Once his feet hit the floor, he leaned down to release her and she charged at me, wrapping her arms around my legs and nearly knocking me over. "Sorry, sweetheart, she's been on the go and asking when we could come get you for HOURS." He was smiling as he 'complained'. "I mean, she made me miss Elmo's World," I had to laugh as my hands combed through her curls.

"Harvey, come meet John's sons." He approached, no wariness in his face since he could see how calm and easy I was in their presence. "Abi?" She tilted her head up and I saw that she'd put her thumb in her mouth when she finally realized that I wasn't alone. It was her coping mechanism for dealing with the attention from strangers, and I booped her nose to get her to smile around it. "You want to say hi to Sam and Dean?" Her eyes were wide, but her smile held.

Harvey reached down for her again, knowing that I was more unwieldy by the day. "I know you," he said, his own eyes going wide when he faced Dean. "Bret Michaels, wasn't it?" I grinned, thinking that it wasn't a huge surprise that Harvey had met a hunter or two in his line of work. "After meeting John, you calling me 'dad' makes a hell of a lot more sense." He offered his hand and Dean stared at it for a beat before taking it. "Tali, this guy," he shook his head. "Well, let's just say that meeting him was an experience."

"I bet it was," I offered, finishing up with my packing. "Abi, say hello to the boys." I looked up in time to catch her offer it around her thumb. "Sweetie, take out your thumb, please, and say it so they can hear it."

She did, and I watched her brothers smile and offer their own greeting to the tiny person in Harvey's arms. "Jesus, Tali, she looks just like-" Dean breathed, his hand reaching out and smiling when she took it in her tiny fist. "I thought she'd end up with your hair."

Another laugh left me. "Well, maybe this one will," Harvey's eyes met mine and I saw how deep his dimples were. "If you'd like," I wanted to ask Harvey first, but he seemed to know what I was going to say and his nod kept me going. "You could have dinner with us, it'll give you some time to get to know her."

Both of John's sons looked shocked at the invitation, but recovered quickly and accepted. Harvey gave them our address, telling them that I should be home resting, and then we all went our own ways. He took my bag and the box of my school things after handing Abi to me. Unlike when he'd brought her into the classroom, she didn't wiggle or fight my holding her. Instead she buried her head into my shoulder and sighed.

"Long day, princess?" I whispered into her curls, but she didn't answer, I could feel her thumb return to her mouth and hoped that inviting her big brothers to dinner wasn't forcing undue stress on her. "Let's get home and mommy will get you a pouch of your favorite gummies?" I felt her nod, and smiled.

Dinner wasn't strained. Or awkward. Or weird at all. In fact, Harvey was far more relaxed around Dean and Sam than he'd ever been around John. Talking about Abi, about teaching, about how my life had returned to me kept us occupied during our meal.

Sam was on the living room floor, helping his sister build a tower with her blocks as Dean watched with a small smile. Harvey had me cradled back against his chest, our fingers linked and hands over my bump. Our little guy was kicking up a storm and one particularly hard movement had me hissing.

"Mommy?" Blocks and giant brother abandoned, Abi rushed over and put her hand under mine and Harvey's. "Broder hitting again?" I smiled at her concern. One she had begun showing more and more after her second birthday a month earlier. Her little face got very close to my belly and she hummed one of her favorite songs. The Elmo's World theme. "No hitting," she whispered, and then kissed my bump and went back to her blocks.

"She's protective." Dean said, smiling at her bouncing curls. "Think that's a family trait?"

"Only if she goes overboard," I offered, smiling as she chattered at Sam, showing him where she wanted each block to go. "Bossy too, now that I KNOW is a family trait."

We said goodbye to them as night fell. Abi kissing her new giant friend, Sam, on the cheek and then offering her small hand to Dean. "Why do the ladies always like you more, Sammy?" He winked at Abi and made her giggle. "I hope we can-"

"Anytime," I offered, and Harvey agreed. "I think she likes the two of you."

"Course she does," Dean offered, swagger returning with a vengeance. "What's not to like?"

Harvey was laughing as he took Abi back in the house, giving me a moment alone to say goodbye. "Thank you both." I said, smiling up at them. "I know it wasn't easy to NOT come before now."

"We didn't want to force it, Tal." Sam was smiling down at me. "It was always your choice."

Dean nodded, then pulled me into a hug. "I still have your letter, Tali." It was a breath in my ear, and I jerked my head to show I'd heard him. "I missed you." He pulled away and I brushed an errant tear away. "It's weird as fuck to see you with a guy who looks exactly like-"

I slapped his arm and the sadness washed away. "Looks can be deceiving," I hugged Sam and when I pulled away, I was smiling. "Besides, who says only men can have a 'type'."

I waved to them from the porch as they drove away in the Impala. And I felt more content knowing that Abi would have her brothers coming and going. She should have all the love in the world. And Dean and Sam would be more than willing to show her that love.